Call to Address Colonial-Era Human Remains Held in UK Institutions

British lawmakers, NGOs, and researchers urge the government to address a 'legislative vacuum' allowing museums to hold African ancestral remains from the colonial era. Calls for repatriation grow, with efforts for policy changes. A cross-party group proposes 14 recommendations for reform, highlighting the Human Tissues Act's limitations.

In a bid to address atrocities from the colonial era, British lawmakers, alongside NGOs and researchers, have pushed the government to tackle what they describe as a 'legislative vacuum' enabling museums to retain African ancestral remains.

For centuries, remains like mummified bodies and skulls were brought to Britain and displayed. Now, a growing global movement calls for the repatriation of these remains to their native lands. Although some measures have been taken, numerous remains still reside in UK institutions.

During a recent event by the cross-party parliamentary group on reparations, chaired by Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the urgency of the matter was emphasized. In 2024, Ribeiro-Addy highlighted the sale of colonial-era remains online, garnering attention from UK officials. The group plans to propose 14 policy recommendations, urging legal changes to prevent such sales and improper displays, while advocating for national restitution policies.